Korora couple donate land to women

A GROUP of local African women will no longer need to travel to Brisbane for their favourite produce, thanks to the generosity of a local farming couple.

Korora avocado farmers Brent and Kris Hely have generously donated space on their eight-acre property for a group of local African women to garden and farm their own produce, after hearing the lengths they were going to to obtain produce like cassava.

“We have about eight acres out here and we only use about three,” Mr Hely said.

“Apparently the women were travelling to the markets in Brisbane to get their produce. We told them we’ve got plenty of spare land if they want to come and make a garden.”

Rather than seeing the gesture as pure generosity, the couple said it was win-win for both parties.

“It’s a bit selfish really – we think we could learn a bit from them; how to grow their vegetables and how to cook them. Plus, they will be maintaining the land for us.”

Joe Walker, regional organiser for Permablitz, said it was a great community project.

“A lot of the African community come out to Bellingen to Nell Haydon’s place where she grows cassava and they keep saying she needs to sell it at the Grower’s Market,” he said.

“But we think this is a great opportunity for them to create their own produce and maybe even have a stall at the markets.”

Farming on the land will start as soon as possible, with all donated goods and help from volunteers.